Why I Love Selfies – and what it has to do with life insurance
A health scare prompted Irlande to ensure that her family’s future was secure. While life insurance can be an important component when it comes to leaving a legacy for our loved ones, so is capturing moments with family, friends and colleagues.
As Irlande made sure that she had all the necessary paperwork in place, she realized that she had failed to include herself in photographs documenting important milestones and events. Realizing this gap, her love of the selfie was born.
Have you ever thought of what you leave behind if something were to happen to you?
I had to face that question a few years ago when I had a health scare that turned into a pivotal life moment. I was fortunate in that it was only a scare, but the process of getting to that conclusion took around nine months. In that time, I really was able to examine what was important to me, and what I wanted to leave behind for my (then) small children to remember me.
I, of course, made sure that all paperwork was in place, including my life insurance policy. That brought me peace of mind in terms of financial contribution, but as I went through the existing pictures of my children to that point, I noticed I wasn’t in them.
I had unknowingly fallen into the parent trap of taking pictures of my family without making sure I was also in the pictures. And once I realized that, it began my mindset shift into taking selfies wherever we went, ensuring I was in the pictures with my kids.
And an unexpected side bonus was that I learned I loved the format of taking a selfie. By seeing ourselves in the camera, we could make silly faces, which gave way to bigger smiles and genuine joy in those moments. Making these memories that have pictures to match. Pictures that I am in with them.
Getting my health clearance didn’t sway me from my selfie campaign. I actually started to take them with my extended family and friends, and then even co-workers! Moving to remote and then hybrid work made getting together in an office a big deal, definitely picture worthy. As my kids grow older, and perhaps want to be in pictures with me less, I have found that I still have no shortage of reasons for selfies in all aspects of my life.
Now this is a fun outcome for a really tumultuous time in the life of my family. I can’t stress the importance of how important it is to think about this before emergencies happen. I am so grateful for how my situation turned out, but that isn’t always the case.
In the moments where the worst does happen, the research done by LIMRA says “that nearly 4 in 10 families would face financial hardship within six months if the primary wage earner died [without sufficient life insurance]. For 1 in 5 families, it would be within just one month.”
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month and LIMRA shares that “41% of Americans say they don’t have sufficient life insurance coverage. Many underserved markets recognize they have even greater insurance needs, including: 49% of Gen Z adults, 47% of Millennials, 44% of women, and 49% of Black and Hispanic adults.”
So, when you think of the legacy you want to leave for your family, I advise you to think of the things that are meaningful and personal - for me that means more selfies! For others, it may mean personal notes written on birthdays and saved, or artwork tucked away to be found later. But please also make sure to think of the financial security you can leave by having life insurance. I have seen firsthand how all of these things can make a big difference in hard times.
#HelpProtectOurFamilies #LIAM23
In all states except New York, group insurance policies are underwritten by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, MA). In New York, group insurance policies are underwritten by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, MI).
LWC-2008 #1214147828 9/23 (Exp 9/25)